Financial support a ‘game changer’ for Caernarfon community centre

Dafydd Einion of Cyngor Gwynedd, Cllr. Dewi Wyn Jones, Siân Gwenllian MS, Desmond Mullender (Chairman), and Helen Davies (staff member) at Noddfa.

The Member of the Senedd for the Arfon constituency has applauded the efforts of a community centre who feared for its future. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy bills, Canolfan Noddfa in Caernarfon faced an uncertain future, but the centre has revived its fortunes after receiving significant financial support from several sources.

 

Canolfan Noddfa lies at the heart of the Peblig ward in Caernarfon, and volunteers and staff members offer a diversity of services to support local residents in the face of the recent cost-of-living crisis, including Croeso Cynnes Noddfa a lunchtime club that runs during Autumn and Winter which is going in to its third year this month.

 

But places like Noddfa weren’t immune to the cost-of-living crisis themselves, and soaring energy bills had left volunteers fearful for its future. However, thanks to several successful grant applications by staff and committee members, Canolfan Noddfa is back on steady footing.

 

Grants from the National Lottery, the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, Grymuso Gwynedd, Cyngor Gwynedd, Caernarfon Town Council and Menter Môn have meant that work has been carried out to make Canolfan Noddfa more economically and environmentally sustainable.

 

The community centre was recently visited by the local Member of the Senedd who thanked the team for their work:

 

“Noddfa has been at the heart of this community since the 1950s, and many people have a deep connection to the place. It is home to the largest Cylch Meithrin in Gwynedd which means  for many people this is where life begins.

 

“People will have fond memories of birthday parties, community events, and coffee mornings. It would be an absolute tragedy to deny future generations of those memories and of that sense of community.

 

“That’s why I applaud volunteers and staff members at Noddfa for working hard on grant applications, and in doing so they have future-proofed this essential resource.

 

“I’m proud to represent a constituency that has become somewhat of a hotbed for grassroots, community action and collaboration. All across the constituency volunteers, Common Interest Groups and social enterprises are springing up as more and more communities take control of their own futures.

 

“Our lives and our communities would be poorer without places like Noddfa and the unsung heroes who keep these places going.”

 

Dewi Wyn Jones represent the Peblig ward on Cyngor Gwynedd:

 

“The financial support we have received has meant we have been able to dramatically reduce our energy costs and usage by installing solar panels, LED lighting, newer, more energy-efficient boilers, as well as carrying out insulation work.

 

“Not only is this more financially efficient, but it means we’re doing our part in the fight against climate change by reducing our carbon footprint.

 

“Grants have also helped us with work to increase revenue and use of the facility by the wider community, including by hiring a marketing consultant, creating a brand, painting the inside, and installing a new sign. The multiple rooms we have are available to be hired by contacting us directly.

 

“As the County Councillor for this ward, I’m all too aware of the challenges that face the area, and I know how important resource like Noddfa are to help tackle those challenges.

 

“From the preventative work, to support work, to the work we do in promoting community cohesion: we must do everything we can to safeguard these resources. That’s why the recent financial support has been a game changer for Noddfa.

 

“As our chair Desmond put it recently in a Facebook video, ‘It’s the heart of the community.’”


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  • Osian Owen
    published this page in News 2024-11-19 13:47:51 +0000

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